Home Is Where You Are
by Caramel Van Gogh
Summary: Cloud still wondered what home really was. What was it made of? Was it really just having a place in his makeshift family? Was it just having a place to return to everyday? Was it just the people? Was it just the sense of peace and contentment that he feels every time he enters the bar?


Another fluff story yey! Hope you guys enjoy it! Special thanks to Senigata for the beta. Go check out their stuff, I promise you will be hooked! Shoutout also to the Cloti discord Final Heaven for giving me so many ideas to write lately, uwu.

Constructive criticisms are welcome. Again please enjoy!

* * *

To say he was tired was an understatement,

Cloud was absolutely _exhausted _from a long day of travelling to deliver goods to their respective recipients. He initially wanted to stop by an inn and rent a room in Kalm to rest his body but a little voice gnawed at the back of his mind that something about sleeping alone in an empty room would not sit right with him. It felt lonely and cold and maybe he wouldn't even get to sleep or nap because of it. So he continued his way back to 7th Heaven without any stop over.

Besides, he had been away from Tifa and the kids for two days because of the surge of request for deliveries and he didn't want to be away for any second longer. He missed their presence. He missed the warm atmosphere in 7th Heaven. He missed his _home_.

_Home_. It was kind of foreign to call it that because for a long time he had denied himself the privilege to acknowledge that fact. That he always had a place there. Simply because he felt like he was not deserving of it. He wanted to from the very start but he believed that he needed to pay some dues to them, especially Tifa, for all of their support. Unfortunately, the guilt seemed to take over for a quite amount of time and then the Geostigma happened. Things were back to square one after that.

It wasn't easy to ease back on what he established with the kids and Tifa but strangely it wasn't all that difficult too. He expected worse reactions from them, however they very much accepted him back with open arms. Granted that he had indeed needed to gain their full trust again. After three months of gaining their trust, things were better than ever. They were now truly happy after everything they'd been through. Both he and Tifa (sometimes the children too) still had their bad days but it wasn't as bad as it used to be anymore.

Yet sometimes, Cloud still wondered what _home _really was.

What was it made of?

Was it really just having a place in his makeshift family? Was it just having a place to return to everyday? Was it just the people? Was it just the sense of peace and contentment that he feels every time he enters the bar?

He knew it was all of the above but something was just _amiss. _Something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

* * *

The ride back home was not as long as Cloud assumed (thanks to his speeding) and he found himself parking Fenrir in the garage. With Fenrir settled in its place, he proceeded to enter the bar. The lights were off and there was no sign of people downstairs. _They're probably asleep_, he thought. It was what he expected, mainly because it was past midnight and he came back earlier than expected so none of them knew that he was returning this early. Cloud made his way upstairs to his office/room and took off his armour while ransacking some clothes to sleep in comfortably. Despite wanting to go straight to bed, he made his way to the bathroom to take a shower and freshen up, not wanting to lie on the bed with all of the dirt and dust that was stuck to his skin.

The water felt nice and Cloud visibly relaxed when the droplets made contact on his skin. After making sure he was clean enough, Cloud put on his night clothes and sauntered towards the children's room to check on them. He opened the door quietly and peeked at the sleeping forms of Marlene and Denzel. They were sleeping soundly and by the looks of their peaceful faces, they weren't having a nightmare of sorts. Slowly, he closed the door and strolled to Tifa's room.

As quietly as he could, Cloud entered the room and closed the door after him. Even though the lights were turned off and the dark engulfed the whole room, he could see Tifa's body on the bed. She was facing the door and her hair was splayed on the mattress. Her chest moved up and down with slow and steady breaths. It was obvious by her position that she lied down and just wanted to rest her eyes for a bit but her tiredness took over and now she was sound asleep.

It was just an ordinary thing. Her asleep on the bed and dreaming of things he doesn't know. And even in the darkness of the room, Cloud couldn't help but think that..

_She's so painfully beautiful._

He smiled a small smile, made his way to the bed and lied beside her, turned to his side so they were face to face. Cloud didn't know how or when he started to sleep in her room in the same bed as her, just that he knew his room was becoming solely an office. He didn't care though, he liked it when she was near. When he can spoon her up and pull her close to him while they slept. Tifa's presence gives him comfort like no one else. It was always that way ever since the beginning, when she found him once upon a time at the train station. He lifted his hand and caressed her cheek ever so gently. This, in turn, made Tifa stir and open her eyes. Sleep induced eyes stared at him. It took about five seconds before she recognized the fact that he was there.

"Hey," He said tiredly but with amusement. She was really cute.

"Hey," She greeted back and gave him a smile. The smile she only ever used for him. And it made his heart swell. It was sweet and even when sleep was evident in her eyes, he saw something in there too. Love, contentment and joy.

It clicked to him then.

This was the missing piece in his definition of _home_. This was what he had been looking for.

_Tifa's smile._

_Tifa's presence._

_Tifa's love._

_Tifa._

_Home was wherever Tifa is._

Cloud gazed at her with the same affection and passion. With love and happiness. He smiled and laid his head tenderly on her shoulder while his hand found hers and intertwined their fingers. He wouldn't ever let go now.

He would hold on as long as he lived. He would protect his family. Her smile.

His home.


End file.
